Wildfires Break Out on Long Island, Prompting Highway Closure

Brush fires broke out on Long Island on Saturday, forcing the closure of sections of a highway in Suffolk County amid high-risk fire conditions of low humidity and gusty winds.

Images on social media showed billowing black smoke as multiple fire departments responded.

The Westhampton Fire Department said that there had been no injuries and no evacuation orders were currently in place.

The New York State Police confirmed that all lanes of the Sunrise Highway were closed eastbound at Exit 62 and westbound at Exit 65. One of the fires was in the Pine Barrens, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul, a 105,000-acre nature park.

“We are in close communication with local partners on Long Island to coordinate assistance and make sure they have the resources they need to protect their communities,” Ms. Hochul said on social media.

The National Weather Service had warned earlier on social media that low humidity and northwest winds of 30 to 35 miles per hour would create an “elevated risk for fire spread.”

On Saturday the forecast materialized.

“We have gusty north-to-northwest winds, and they’re making it difficult to contain any fires that develop,” Jay Engle, a meteorologist with the Weather Service, said of conditions on Long Island on Saturday.

Winds are expected to calm overnight and humidity levels will increase, giving firefighters a break. But the winds are expected to return on Sunday.

“There will be heightened fire risk again tomorrow,” Mr. Engle said.

“Use extreme caution with all potential ignition sources (machinery, cigarettes, matches),” the Weather Service said. “Any fires may spread quickly.”

About 20 miles west, in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn, another brush fire broke out around 1 p.m. on Saturday.

New York City Fire Department crews and marine units responded, as did local volunteer firefighters and New York City Police Department helicopters. Crews were clearing that fire around 4 p.m., the Fire Department said. Fire marshals were investigating the cause.

Amy Graff contributed reporting.